Letters to the Editor, Feb. 21

Regarding “Leading Dems decry Giuliani’s words on Obama” (Feb. 20), I have been listening to comments on former New York Mayor Giuliani’s claims about President Obama, namely, that he does not love America, that he was raised and grew up differently, etc. Then I heard a panel discussion of this, and among the comments of all of them, I failed to hear anybody suggesting the real basis for Giuliani’s outrageous statements, and of much of the criticism of Obama during his entire term. He is our first black president. That is what this is all about, albeit unsaid, even by a black man commenting.

How about the snide statement by Giuliani, about Obama being raised differently, which is kind of funny, since he was raised by his white mother.

As an 87-year-old white woman who has lived through the Joseph McCarthy assault on our democracy, as well as the incarceration of American citizens of Japanese ancestry during World War II, I am not blinded by its faults, yet love my country. (I would have included slavery, but even at 87, I was not alive then.)

This from a political has-been who is now relegated to the opening comedy act of a Scott Walker fundraiser in New York. Smart move there Walker, having a guy who spent almost several million dollars on his failed presidential campaign in 2007 speak at your fundraising event. A piece of advice for Giuliani: You’re not relevant anymore. You make me laugh.

Al Comolli, Millbrae

Pay up front

Thanks for “System of tipping may never be the same” (Feb. 18). I have long objected to this arcane practice, but go along, lest I suffer the slings and arrows of my fellow diners, as well as the server. All the issues raised fall under a general heading of how to be a gracious host. It is impolite, if not downright rude, to force one’s guest to make the necessary calculations to arrive at a final tally for their bill.

I don’t want to have to guess at how much base salary a server makes, what benefits this particular restaurant does or does not provide to their workers, what portion of the service fee goes to the servers or kitchen staff, whether or not the alcohol should be included in the formula and so on. The priority of any host is to make their guest welcome and comfortable. Presenting a bill at the end of a meal that basically says, “Here, you figure it out, but if you miscalculate, be prepared to be embarrassed” accomplishes just the opposite. With any other professional service, I expect to be told up front what it will cost so that I can decide.

Roger Drosd, San Francisco

Sour grapes

Regarding “Wrong approach” (Feb. 19), President Obama has been careful to address the complexities that underlie the violence in the Middle East and beyond. Fox News chooses to present talking points that select a single aspect of Obama’s complex plan and fail to present other key elements such as the “military component.” Fox News then goes further to mock Department of State representatives seeking to inform the public and bring on selected retired “sour grapes” generals to argue the “military component.”

I encourage my fellow Americans to listen carefully to what is being presented by the president and avoid unnecessary worry and confusion. Fox News should be seen for what it is: presenter of unbalanced news by “hired guns.”

Bourke Harris, Orinda

Tipping protocol

I enjoyed reading “System of tipping may never be the same” (Feb. 18). I would like to add another arena where I encourage heightened consciousness and change in tipping protocols in addition to the shift described where tips are covered by raising restaurant worker wages rather than leaving the option to the diner. My son is a personable deliverer for a catering company where orders might be received by receptionists, even for very profitable companies, who cannot add a tip.

Or, even more out of touch, people who are delivered complicated and voluminous orders of $1,000 or more who don’t tip at all. Not even a token amount. You can’t afford $20? People, please be considerate of helpful, low wage workers who make your lives easier. Tip food service delivery people.

Donna Calame, San Francisco

Train change

While we worry and debate about the future risk of hundreds of oil trains passing through the Bay Area, we already see one effect in that the sheer number of oil trains on the one north-south track has already led Amtrak to cancel the Coast Starlight train for the foreseeable future. Enjoy the bus if you are looking for a scenic ride to L.A.

Robert Pressley, San Francisco

Longshore dispute

Regarding “Dispute threatens U.S. economy” (Feb. 19), despite their power to shut down international trade, longshore workers are not to blame for this months-long slowdown. The slowdown is about employer pressure on the union to capitulate on the issues, and almost nothing to do with workers actions. The employers want to break this historically strong union, through sweetheart deals (as in West Coast grain ports) and automation, while the workers seek to protect their jobs and their safety on the docks. Yet, workers are being threatened by both the employers and the Obama government with lockouts and the antilabor Taft-Hartley Act.

Why are there no workers actions in response to this employer onslaught? The longshore workers are saddled with a weak and subservient union leadership, which should have called for a walkout when the contract terminated last July. Instead of no contract, no work, they dilly-dallied. Longshore workers need to use their power to stop concessionary contracts, and all working people should have their back.